Fantastic Fest 2023– No matter our race, class, or gender, we all have one thing in common. One day, our clock will expire. We’re going to die. Transición is an eerie and startling meditation on the aging process and mortality, starring trans actress Celeste González, who turns in quite an emotional performance as Angela.

The entire short, directed by David Velduque, is told from Angela’s perspective. While the character’s trans identity is both clear and referenced, it isn’t really the focus. Instead, the film addresses anxieties over aging. More specifically, Angela has vivid nightmares about her skin peeling off, worms crawling near her bones, and a creepy new caretaker (María Pizarro) who may or may not be real. The fact this film was shot in black and white only adds to the unsettling quality, resembling films like Roman Polanski’s Repulsion, especially since both take place in an apartment complex that eventually feels isolating. This film has a similar psychological terror.

Almost immediately, we identify and feel for Angela, especially through conversations she has with her partner, Alex (Zack Gómez), over the phone at the outset of the film. It’s clear that they have a loving relationship, so when Angela’s mind starts to go, and when the nightmares increase, you empathize with her character’s struggle to maintain her sanity, especially since it feels like no one but Alex actually cares about her. All of this leads to a conclusion that’s quite heartbreaking.

Transición, through its horror and hair-raising sequences, has a heck of a lot to say about how society treats the elderly, especially the marginalized. This makes for a powerful and harrowing 15 minutes. I would love to see this turned into a feature-length film, so we learn more about Angela’s life.

8 Out of 10